Prey
by Emily Hill
Summary: Someone is trying to copy a series of gruesome murders which occurred six years ago. The murderer of that time is in prison, but he says he doesn't know anything. The team opens the hunt for this copycat and does everything they can to avoid further casualties. It turns out Danny played a major role in solving the case six years ago. Is the copycat going to come after Danny too?
1. Chapter 1

**I found this story on my computer and decided to post this.**  
 **I will continue 'So damn Lucky', but since I don't have any time to write right now I decided to devide this story in chapters and post it.**  
 **Enjoy!**

Bethany Morris cycled on a deserted path,enjoying nature. When she reached her garden she got off her bike. She placed her bicycle against a tree and grabbed her stuff out of the shed in the back of the garden. She weeded the garden and harvested some vegetables. Suddenly she felt something slam shut around her wrist and a searing pain shot up her arm. She looked down and saw her wrist stuck in a clamp. She screamed and tried to walk away, but the clamp was stuck in the soil. She pulled and pulled, but the clamp didn't come lose. If anything, the clamp just tightened. She cried for help, but no one came.

***

Steve drove up in his car and saw that Danny's car was already there. He looked around and saw Danny already examining the corpse and talking to Max. He walked over to the body. He noticed the clamp around the woman's wrist. He said, "Morning." Danny seemed lost in thought and didn't react, so Steve repeated his words, a little louder.

"The man who found her recognized her as Bethany Morris. That's a clamp used for foxes."

"Damn!" Steve said, but again Danny did not respond to him, he just continued.  
"When it clamped shut, the artery in her wrist was hit. Or it happened when she tried to break free."

"And then she bled to death?" Steve asked in a revolted tone. Following Danny's affirmative answer, he asked "How long does that take?"

"Definitely several hours," Danny said.

"And what's her time of death?"

"Max estimated she died between 7 and 9 A.M.. That means she must have been here before 6 A.M., so that's fairly early.

"At that time it's deserted out here, nobody saw or heard her." Danny squeezed his eyes shut, but again didn't answer him. Steve didn't know what to think of Danny's strange behaviour. "Didn't she have a phone with her?"

"No," was Danny's curt reply. "And they didn't find anything in the shed either." He looked around and didn't notice the inquiring gaze that Steve threw him.

"Who would place such a thing? And why here?" Danny simply continued to look around and started restlessly walking back and forth.

"Is something wrong?" Steve asked.

"I don't know yet," Danny said and he walked away. Chin tapped on Steve's shoulder and asked him to come.

"I'll be right there," Steve said and followed Danny, who had found a phone in the meantime. He was scrolling through the phone. "She tried to call 911," he said.

"How did that end up here?" Steve asked. Danny simply pushed him aside and walked away again. Steve shook his head and walked over to where Chin and Kono were talking to an elderly man.

"Bethany hired this land for almost ten years. But we didn't see her very often, she was always here before dawn."

"Mr Green just told me he also places clamps sometimes," Chin said.

"Well, I do, but only small ones. For the birds, they always ate my beans, and my strawberries. I don't have anything to do with this one."

"I have been informed this is a clamp for a fox," Steve said.

"That's what I mean! There aren't any foxes on Hawaii, why would anyone place a clamp to catch one?"

"Okay, thank you," Steve said and walked away, looking for Danny. Suddenly he saw a flash from the corner of his eye as Danny jumped out of a tree. "Jeez, Danny!" Danny looked up at the tree again, so Steve looked to see what had caught Danny's attention.

"He sat in this tree."

"Who?" Steve couldn't really follow Danny anymore.

"The murderer."

"So he grabbed the phone, threw it down over there, and then he climbed into this tree?"

"Yes, that's correct," was Danny's simple answer.

"Why? And how do you know?" Danny bent down and picked something up from the ground. "Look, nutshells."

"I'm not really following you," Steve said in a skeptical tone.

"Do you want the summary?" Danny asked

"I'd like that, yeah."

"We have a problem," Danny said, walking away and leaving Steve dumbfounded.

***  
"This photo was taken exactly six years ago. And when I say exactly, I mean up to the day. That's how I know it's not a coincidence," Danny said. "This man was also found in the morning, in a garden. This was followed by four more."

"I remember, they called it the bizarre case," Chin said. "With those peanuts."

"Pistachio nuts," Danny corrected. "He let his victims die a slow death, and sat down to look at that while eating nuts."

"That's just sick," Kono said.

Danny showed them a bag of pistachio nutshells. "These were found under a tree this morning, with perfect view of the place where Bethany lay dying."

"But the killer in that case was arrested and sentenced, right?"

"Kyle Smith," Danny said while pulling up a mug shot of the man. "He's been imprisoned for almost 6 years now. He can't be our killer. Maybe it's a copycat."

"Probably. Apparently he knew that she would be very early, that there was no one to help her with her hand in that clamp," Steve said. "That means he observed that area. Where the other murders also committed with these clamps?"

"No. His second victim was in fact his first victim. This man was found later. He was trapped in a self-made trap and died of dehydration. It probably lasted a week," Danny said.

"Does this mean that a trap with a corpse will turn up soon?" Steve asked.

"And, can we still save that person?" Kono asked.

"We need to talk to Smith immediately, maybe that copycat has contacted him, or he knows who it is. Chin, Kono, can you pay him a visit?  
And Danny, were there any fingerprints on these nuts? "

"No, spotless. And the only prints on the phone were of the victim."

"If our killer is indeed playing a game, he has taken a big risk," Chin said.

"Why?" Kono asked.

"Well, he wanted the nutshells to be found, but how could he know that someone would be looking for them?"

Danny bit his lip. "Because of me. The case of Smith was my very first case on the island"

"Do you mean that the offender is also after you? Because you had to do with Smith being arrested?" asked Steve

Danny shrugged. "I do not know."

"I think you really have to be careful from now on," Steve said.

 **TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, here's the second chapter. I'd really appreciate it if you let me know what you think!**  
 **Enjoy!**

"Well, I wasn't partnered with Meka yet back then, so I want to talk to my partner at the time. I want to gather all information there is on this case," Danny said.

"Great idea, but you're not going alone. I'm coming with you."

"Alright, that'll be fun," Danny said and heaved a sigh.

***

Kuli'ou'ou Ridge

A man in a hooded sweatshirt walked warily in the forest. He had a bag of pistachio nuts in his gloved hand. When he reached his destination, he laid some nuts and nut shells on a fallen tree trunk. He cut of a few branches with the pruning shears which he had deposited there earlier that week, so he had a good view of the caged man who was only barely conscious. He sat down on the tree trunk and watched the man suffer.

***

"How long has it been since you've last seen her?" Steve asked Danny while they walked up to the house of his old partner.

"A long time," Danny simply said and knocked on the door. When nobody answered he looked inside. "He's probably in his workshop." Danny walked around the house, not waiting to see if Steve was following him.

"You've obviously been here before," Steve said. Danny glanced over his shoulder and smirked. He walked over to a large barn and opened the door. There was a woman at a desk. She sat bent over a microscope, in utmost concentration. Danny tapped her shoulder and the woman looked up at him, startled.

When she recognized Danny, a smile came on her face. "Danny! How nice to see you!" she said and hugged Danny. Danny hugged her back for a second and freed himself from the embrace. "I'm here for work," he said, looking at Steve. "This is Steve McGarret."

The woman took off her plastic gloves and shook Steve's extended hand. "Hi, I'm Diane Morgan," she said.

"Hi," Steve said, looking around the barn. "Impressive. So what exactly do you do around here?"

"Well, besides my work with the police, I'm a Doctor in forensic molecular biology. Here I do some research, in peace and quiet," Diane said, gesturing around her.

"Research into what, for instance?" Steve asked.

"At the moment I'm examining the possibilities to determine the color of someone's eyes through DNA."

"That's already possible," Danny said, sounding a little distracted.

"Only brown and blue. I try to expand it to other colors," Diane answered.

"We would like to talk to you about Kyle Smith."

Diane was silent for a minute, then asked, "What about Kyle Smith?"

***

Halawa Correctional Facility

Chin leaned against the wall of the room, holding a stack of photos. Kono sat down at the table, tapping her fingers on it. Then a buzzer sounded and the door opened. Kyle Smith, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, entered the room, walking in an odd limp. "A police visit? Nice to see that you have not forgotten about me." He walked over to the table and sat down across from Kono.

Chin moved away from the wall and carefully laid out the photos on the table in front of Smith, one by one. Smith looked puzzled at the photos, and then to Chin. "Take a good look."

"Is this what I think it is?" Smith said in an odd tone.

"We found this woman this morning, to the very day six years after you killed your first victim in exactly the same way," Kono said.

"At the crime scene we found shells, nutshells," Chin continued. Smith got a maniacal grin on his face and he said ""Wow, I have my own copycat! My memoirs were refused by every publisher, maybe now they -"

Chin cut him short. "Do you have any idea who might have done this?"

"No," Smith said curtly.

"No? Maybe take another look, at your leisure?" Kono persisted.

When Smith didn't say anything, Kono continued. "If this killer walks the same path as you, then there are people at risk."

Smith nodded. "Yes, that's terrible, of course," he said, but it did not sound as though he meant it. He leaned back in his chair.

Chin sighed. "Is there anything you'd be able to tell us that could help us?"

"Nnno," Smith said. "Oh well, then it is just a matter of waiting. Until someone shows up in a wild cage." He got an excited expression and said ""Can y- Can you- Can you keep me posted?" he said, leaning forward in his chair. "Please?"

***

"This is all the information I have. It's actually quite a lot," Diane said as she scrolled through the information.

"How did Smith actually get caught, at the time?" Steve asked. "Did you find any fingerprints or DNA on the shells?"

"Yes, we did. But Smith was not yet known to the judiciary back then, so his name did not immediately come up," Danny said.

"Smith's identity was eventually discovered based on shoe prints that were found of him. There were signs of wear on them that showed that he had a limp. The DNA that was found was compared to over a hundred patients who were under treatment for an orthopedic condition. That's how Smith was found. He had a hip deviation."

"That's very clever," Steve said, sounding impressed.

"Well, Danny deserves all the credit. He discovered everything."

Steve looked approvingly at Danny, and maybe, just maybe, there was also a hint of proud in his eyes. Diane also looked fondly at Danny. There was an awkward silence and Danny seemed pretty uncomfortable. He cleared his throat and said, "Can we get a copy of those files?"

"Of course,"Diane said, grabbing a USB from a drawer.

"And how did Smith commit his third murder?" Steve asked.

"He used poison," was Danny's answer.

"Temik," Diane explained. "It contains aldicarb. It was used in the potato cultivation, to fight insects. Farmers could buy it if they had a permit, but now it is illegal."

Danny cocked an eyebrow. "Hunters used it too," he said, to which Diane nodded. She continued to copy the files on the USB stick, so Steve asked Danny "What did they use it for?"

"They used it to kill raptors. Hunters see raptors as their competitors, so if they eliminate them, they can kill more prey."

"So first a clamp, then a trap, and subsequently poison that is used by hunters," Steve said pensively. "That can't be a coincidence, right? That Smith uses hunting methods for all of his murders?"

"It had to do with a childhood trauma. When Smith was arrested, he underwent a psychological examination, and it turned out that things had happened when he was young," Danny said, putting his hands in his pocket.

"What sort of things?"

Danny was about to answer when Diane handed him the USB stick. "Yeah, um, shall we go? Thank you," he said, and walked out of the barn.

Diane stood up from her chair. "Okay. Yeah, massive thanks," Steve said. It was obvious that Danny wanted to leave as soon as possible, and Steve was very curious about what was going on.

"You're welcome," Diane said, smiling at Steve

Steve turned around and started to walk away, but then turned back and looked at Diane. "We do not know what drives this perpetrator, but since you were involved in the investigation back then, it does not hurt to be cautious."

"Thanks for the warning." Steve nodded and walked away to where Danny was waiting for him.

Steve looked appreciatively at the Dodge Coronet that was parked in the driveway.  
"Nice lady," he said when he reached Danny, trying to get Danny to talk. "Did you have a thing with her?"

"Why do you think so?" Danny said and started to walk towards their car.

"Well, it's quite obvious," Steve smirked.

"It did not last very long." Steve didn't say anything, but Danny continued anyway. "She's saying that I deserve all the credit, but six years ago she took all the credit when we solved the case. So I was done fairly quickly with her."

"So you never worked it out with her?" Danny was silent for a while and then nodded at the car. "Shall we go?"

Steve heaved a sigh and unlocked the car, preparing himself for a silent ride back to HQ.


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's the third chapter, enjoy!**

Two boys are cycling through the forest. The rear one has a go-pro on his helmet. Suddenly, the front one stops and the rear can stop just in time. He tries to see why his friend has stopped and when he sees a cage with a man inside, he can just hold in a scream. The eyes of the man are half-open and there is vomit around his mouth. There is a sour smell. The boys look at each other and simultaneously grab their phone.

* * *

Chin is seated at his desk when Kono enters . "I have looked up everything there is to find about that fox clamp. It is the exact same clamp as Smith used. Only problem is this type is now illegal in Europe," he says and leans back in his chair.

"Maybe they are still sold on the Internet?" asks Kono.

"Have you ever searched for a needle in a haystack?" Chin gets up.

"I was looking for information on those wild cages, but I'm not really getting any the wiser."

Chin shrugs. "Well, coffee ?," he says as he walks out his office, heading to the coffee machine.

Steve and Danny enter and ask everyone to come to the bullpen.

"And?" asks Kono.

"We have all the information she had," Danny says as he takes a sip of coffee.

"The third murder was committed with a poison which is sold under the name Temik," says Steve. "That's off the market now, but if the perpetrator is copying everything so accurately, I think we have to check if it isn't still sold somewhere."

"Yes, I'm going to get to work on that," Chin said, and start typing. "Temik, you said?"

"Yeah," said Danny. He walks into his office and closes the door behind him.

"Oh, I printed the memoirs of Smith," Kono said.

"How did you get those?" Chin asked, puzzled.

"Through the publisher, to whom he had sent them. Maybe there's something useful in them. I have also read the results of the psychological report that they made six years ago."

"Okay, was there anything we could use?"

"Well, Kyle Smith's father, was a farmer, but also an avid hunter. He often took his son along on one of his raids. But, the man had a macabre pleasure in seeing animals die, the slower the better."

Steve and Chin both looked disgustedly at Kono. "He often sat for hours, together with his son, watching them die,while he was eating slowly nuts. Pistachio nuts."

"That's really disturbing," Steve said.

"Those experiences were so traumatic for Smith, that he kept repeating that habit as an adult, you know? That happens quite often."

"And he took it a lot further, he began to use people as his prey," Steve said. "And how do you think this will help us to find our killer?"

"Well, there is a possibility that the new culprit has acquired the same fascination. Maybe he's giving Smith a tribute in this way, completely effacing himself while doing so."

"But with serial killers, it's mostly about the attention, isn't it?"

"That's right, just look at Smith. He still longs for recognition. The same recognition he never got from his father."

"Wait a minute, what are you trying to say? Is the perpetrator self-effacing, or is he seeking attention?"

"It's probably a combination of factors," said Kono, but before she could continue Danny appeared. "Within one minute I found a place where they sell Temik under the counter." He handed a note with the address to Chin.

"And I just got a call, they found a wild cage. With a man in it." He threw his car keys to Steve. "Can you two go to the store? We'll go to that trap."

* * *

"Do you know the agent Temik?"

"Yes. I have sold it for years to farmers around here. But now it's banned," Iakopa Kekoa, the owner of the store, said, and he crossed his arms.

"Yes. Suppose that I would want to buy it anyway, huh? At your shop, would that be possible?"

The man puffed. "Well, no, uh ..."

Kono interrupted him. "On the internet you can find that you are still selling it." Chin began to walk around the store.

"As far as I'm concerned, you can search this whole shop. You won't find it around here."

"It's a murder investigation!" Kono said incisively.

"I'm sorry I can't help you."

"Thank you," Chin said, and they left the store.

"Excuse me?" came a woman's voice. Kono and Chin both turned toward the sound. "Is it really murder?" a small woman asked them.

"Yes?" Chin said, and they walked up to the woman. "It is true that we sell Temik, uh, in mayonnaise-buckets," the woman said nervously. "I know it is illegal, but uhm, farmers attach great importance to their own agents and we rarely sell it. Until the day before yesterday."

"Two days ago, someone bought a bucket?" When the woman answered confirmingly Chin asked "Do you know who that was?"

"He comes here more often, he lives close to my sister. He needed it against mice," the woman rattled. "A name," Kono said, a little impatiently.

"Hanini, um Mahelona," said the woman, after thinking for a moment. Chin and Kono greeted the woman and walked away.

* * *

"He fits the profile. Hanini Mahelona got huge fines in the past for poisoning cats in the neighborhood. And he used to have a dog he severely abused," Kono said.

"Okay, you can go see him," said Steve, clamping the phone between his ear and shoulder. He said to Danny, "We have a possible culprit. Chin and Kono need back-up, I'll arrange it." He also reported this to Kono and then stood still. "Is everything alright?" he asked Danny.

Danny nodded and continued walking towards the scene. The people of the forensic team were busy collecting evidence and taking photographs. Danny squatted down beside the cage and ran a hand through his hair. He did not want to admit it, but he was struck by this case. Steve put a hand on Danny's shoulder and gave a comforting squeeze.

Chin and Kono pulled up to Mahelona's house. Chin knocked on the door, while Kono looked through the window. they nudged Chin and pointed inside. They could just see the legs of a man. Chin nodded and kicked the door in. Cautiously they went inside with their gun drawn.

On the table was a hand of pistachio nutshells. The man, whom they recognized as Mahelona was handcuffed to the stove. He was obviously dead and there was foam around his mouth. Next to him stood a mayonnaise-bucket, which was only half filled with gray grains.

* * *

Danny was still sitting crouched looking at the bag with nutshells. Since the case of Smith, he had never looked at pistachio nuts the same way. He jumped when his phone rang and answered his phone. "Chin? Any news?"

"We found our third victim."

"Where?" Danny said as he stood up and walked past the place where Steve was talking to the bikers.

"In his house. He was poisoned. The perpetrator must have known that we would come to think of this man as a suspect. He wants to shock us"

"Crap," Danny wholeheartedly said.

"He is playing a game, and we must remember that it's possible you're part of this. You really have to be careful."

"Smith committed the fourth murder with a shotgun," Danny said, out of the blue.

"Was that also a slow death?"

"No, something went wrong with the fourth victim and he had to improvise."

"Be careful, please."

"Yeah," Danny said, and ended the call. He had wandered pretty far during the call, and when a hand was laid on his shoulder, he took a swing.

"Whoa, I'ts just me" Steve said as he held his nose. Blood flowed from his nose. Danny laughed nervously. "Sorry, I'm a little tense."

"You could say that. Are you coming?"

"Yeah," Danny said. He looked around a last time and followed Steve.

 **I hope you liked it, please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Well, here's the 4th chapter, enjoy!**

"You told us that you hadn't sold Temik in years, didn't you?" Chin asked the store owner. When the man didn't answer, he stepped closer, a little threatening. "Right?"

Mr. Kekoa looked at his wife, who nervously wrung her hands. Chin continued "Mahelona was killed with that stuff that you have sold him!" It was obvious he was very frustrated with the man, since he wasn't his normally stoic self.

Mr. Kekoa cleared his throat and put his hands on his hips. "That's not true, we had nothing to do with it," his wife said, and she nervously bit her lip.

"Well, we did sell Hanini a bucket once in a while," Mr. Kekoa said, a little hesitatingly. Kono and Chin looked at each other, and the man quickly said, "But that's it! Why would we kill him? And then send you right to him? That would just be crazy."

"Were there people in the store, when you sold him the bucket?"

"I do not know exactly," the woman said hesitantly, and she looked at her husband. "I don't think so, I mean, of course we don't sell it when the store is crowded."

Chin had been looking around during the conversation and had spotted a middle-aged woman lounging in her garden, right across the store. "Are we going to be prosecuted?" the man asked, laying a hand on his wife's shoulder. Chin didn't reply, he simply walked away, leaving Kono with the stunned couple.

"Yes, our colleagues will write an official record, and subsequently there is going to be a penalty," said Kono, who looked at Chin a little puzzled.

Mr. and Mrs. Kekoa looked at each other a little nervous. Mr. Kekoa squeezed his wife's shoulder. Kono smiled at them reassuringly, but she couldn't shake the feeling there was more to it. She excused herself and followed Chin, who had reached the woman in the meantime.

"Have you ever seen people come out of the store with a little mayonnaise bucket?"

"Did you ever see people coming out of the store with a little mayonnaise bucket?" Chin said, not even bothering to introduce himself, simply showing his badge.

"I did notice that sometimes, yes," the woman said. "But only once or twice, I think." She stood up, feeling a little threatened by the cop towering over her.

"And did you, by any chance, see a man in his late thirties with such a bucket the day before yesterday?" Chin said, backing off a little. Scaring people wouldn't get them anywhere.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't home two days ago," the woman said, a little apologetically.

"Okay, thank you," Chin said, and he started to walk away.

"Uh, sir? There is something else," the woman hurriedly said, before the could get very far. Chin and Kono looked at her expectantly. "Last week, there was a car over there with a woman in it, almost all the time. She sat watching the store all the time, with binoculars," she said, pointing to the street.

"Did you get a good look at the woman?" Chin said, happy to have a lead they could follow up on.

"Uh, no, I didn't."

"Do you remember anything, like a license plate?" Kono didn't want to give up that easily.

The woman shrugged. "No, I'm sorry. But I do remember it was a vintage car. A dodge, I believe."

* * *

Everyone joined at HQ. After everyone had shared their information and laughed at Steve for letting Danny hit him in the nose, it was silent for a while. Steve had a pensive expression on his face. "A Dodge? Doesn't your old partner own a Dodge?"

Danny got an angry expression on his face. "Oh no, you're not going to go there!" Danny said indignantly. Despite his protests, half an hour later Chin and Kono sat across Diane Morgan in the interrogation room.

Kono laid photos of the crime scene where Hanini Mahelona was found on the table in front of Diane. "Hanini Mahelona," she said, pointing at one of them.

Diane shook her head. "Doesn't ring a bell."

"He was poisoned with Temik."

Diane nodded. "Where exactly do you want to go with this?" She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms

"What were you doing in front of that store?" Kono stood up and perched on the edge of the table.

"What store? "

"The one where they sell Temik," Kono said, and it was pretty obvious she wasn't impressed with Diane's innocent act.

"I don't know which store you mean, I've never been there."

"Someone saw your car. And you were watching the store with binoculars," Kono said, leaning closer toward Diane.

Diane looked genuinely surprised. "What? That's nonsense! What, do you think that I am the copycat now?"

"That seems to be the case, yeah," Chin said calmly, gently tugging at Kono to sit back.

"But why would I repeat those murders Smith committed? I personally made sure he was convicted and went to prison!" Diane heaved a sigh. "Someone is simply trying to frame me."

Danny, who was watching the interrogation with Steve, said, "This is really ridiculous!"

"But we have to take this seriously," replied Steve, turning to look at Danny

"I know her. She did not do this," Danny said with conviction.

"I checked her out," Steve said. "She's been hospitalized a few years ago because of mental problems, you know?" Danny had to admit he had not known about that, but he still believed in Diane's innocence.

* * *

"She sticks to her story, that she doesn't know anything," Kono said, leaning on the smart table.

"I simply do not believe that she did it," Danny said, crossing his arms.

"There is a mental disorder in play, who knows what goes on in the head of that woman?" Steve obviously thought Diane was the person they were looking for.

Danny sighed. "That lady across the store is simply lying."

"But why on earth would she have done that?" Steve said, turning to walk into his office.

"Because someone is playing a game with us, Steven!" Danny practically shouted.

Steve cocked an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "Okay, we at least need to have a chat with that lady one more time." he said, in a calm tone.

Chin was already typing away on the smart table "The phone number that woman gave us doesn't exist. Kono and I will go pay her a visit," Chin said.

"That makes that woman suspicious too," Steve said, thoughtfully.

"You think so?" Kono said in a disbelieving tone. Danny simply looked at him like he'd just seen a ghost. "Did you really just consider Diane not to be guilty?"

Steve choose to ignore Danny, not for the first time in their partnership.

"Yes, think about it. She could assume that the owners of that store would put us on the trail of Hanini Mahelona, so she followed him when she saw him coming out of the store, and she killed him,knowing that we would find him. Which we did."

"It's a possibility," Kono said, looking at Chin to see what he thought about all this. Chin didn't say anything, he just waited for Steve to continue.

"Then, she could wait until we would come to her for a testimony. She pointed in the direction of Diane Morgan, who she'd never seen in the store, but whom she knew had an oldtimer."

"Then she took a lot of risk. How could she be sure that the owners of that shop would put you on the trail of Hanini Mahelona, for example?" Kono said. "She was very sure of herself."

Danny huffed a laugh. "The killer has taken exactly the same risk this morning, whith those shells. And besides, you can not possibly know what goes on in her head," he said, looking at Steve emphatically.

"That woman could also have told the truth. Maybe she simply lied about her phone number because she didn't want to talk to the police again," Kono said, not wanting to give up that easily.

"But we should talk to that woman anyway. Chin and Kono, can you go over to that woman?"

Chin nodded and left, followed by Kono. "What's going to happen with Diane now? You don't have anything against her," said Danny, not trying to hide his triumph the slightest bit.

"No, you're right. We'll let her go."

Danny nodded and walked away. Before he could go out the door, Steve said "Maybe it's a good idea to put people in front of her door. If she is innocent, we don't know whether or not that offender is going to involve her in this case. And I want to put people in front of your door tonight."

Danny didn't bother to turn around, he simply walked out the door, not wanting to hold Diane any longer then necessary.

* * *

Diane Morgan parked her car a few blocks away from Danny's house. She cautiously went inside Danny's house, so the officers who stood outside his home wouldn't see her. 

**I hope you liked it, please let me know what you think!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Here's the 5th chapter, enjoy! And please let me know what you think...**

Danny sat staring at his laptop screen in utter concentration when suddenly, he heard a door creak. He looked up, and when he didn't see anything he went back to work. Then he saw movement in the garden out of the corner of his eye. He stood up and grabbed his gun. He switched the light off and stood just around the corner at the door.

When the door opened and Diane came in, he almost dropped his gun. "What are you doing here? Why are you sneaking around like that? You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"I do not want the colleagues to talk about us," Diane said, shushing him.

Danny nodded. When they were working together, he'd discovered that she was very fond of keeping her private life just that, private. "Well, do you want to come in and have a glass of wine?"

Danny poured two glasses of wine. "So what happened to you?" he asked as he handed Diane her glass.

"I suffered from severe depression. I've even been suicidal for a while. Then I admitted myself in to a clinic."

Danny walked into the living room, motioning for her to follow him. He sat down on the couch and asked, "And now?

"It's better. I occasionally suffer from severe sensitivity, but I have always had that," Diane said as she sat next to Danny. "Even when we ... You probably noticed it sometimes."

Danny smiled at Diane. "Why did things end between us? You suddenly wanted another partner," Diane asked as she leaned back into the couch.

Danny turned his glass around in his hands and shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe because we worked together, I ... It was too complicated for me, I think."

"Oh? I thought it went pretty well," Diane said as she took a sip of wine.

Danny remembered that Steve had asked him if he'd ever worked things out with Diane. He decided to be honest about his feelings. "You started to annoy me a bit," he said, taking a large sip of wine.

"I did? Why?" Diane said, genuinely surprised, and she turned to face Danny.

Danny looked at her incredulously, but he saw that Diane really didn't have a clue what he was talking about.

"I was disappointed in you for taking all the credit. I was the one who came up with the theory about the worn shoe sole."

"It wasn't that bad, was it? I've never done it deliberately anyway. I mean, I know very well that you were the one who solved the case. That's what I said this morning to your partner, isn't it?" Diane leaned closer to Danny. "I think you had a different reason for not wanting to continue our 'thing'."

"Oh yeah?" Danny said, raising an eyebrow.

"You were afraid to commit to a relationship." Danny cocked his head at that and smiled, waiting for an explanation. "Maybe you thought I was too young, or it was caused by something that happened to you when you were young. Commitment issues are often caused by an event that occured in your life."

Danny nodded, seemingly interested. Diane paused for a while, then suddenly said "I think we've been talking long enough." She grabbed Danny's wineglass and put both their glasses on the table. She cupped Danny's face with her hand and gently kissed him. 

* * *

Steve walked into Kono's office. "I just saw on the news that the memoirs of Smith are going to be published. His lawyer was being interviewed. He said Smith was very happy about it, but only because he told the truth. Also, he found it tragic that the renewed interest was caused by the casualties that were found."

"Of course he is," Kono said, putting down the piece of paper she was reading.

Steve was used to working late, and Danny was the only person who also left late pretty often. The only reason he wasn't working late tonight was the fact that Steve had sent him home tonight.

That's why he asked Kono, a little surprised, "What are you actually still doing here?"

"I'm reading those memoirs," Kono said, pointing to the large stack of paper that lay before her. "Here he is only twelve! I hope that the publisher is going to shorten this!"

Steve patted her shoulder and grinned at her. "Well, enjoy your evening," he said and walked out. 

* * *

Danny was woken by a barking dog. He felt the bed for Diane and discovered that he was alone in bed. He turned on the lamp on his nightstand and went out of bed. 

* * *

Steve was almost at his car when he suddenly realized something. He rushed back in and almost bumped into Chin, who was just about to go home.

"Is something wrong?" asked Chin.

"I wanted to check something. Everything in this case is preconceived, the way we found Hanini Mahelona, the way we started to suspect Diane Morgan...," Steve said, waiting for Chin to connect the dots.

Which Chin didn't, because it was late and he was tired. "So?"

"Maybe it's not a coincidence that Danny so easily found a place where they sell Temik."

"He found it on an internet forum, I believe," Chin said, following Danny back inside.

"Yeah, so we have to check who posted that message. Because that person is the one that sent us in the direction of that store."

"Maybe it was the woman who lives across from the store, I'll check it out," Chin said, and he walked to the Smart Table. 

* * *

Danny flipped on the light in the living room. He looked outside, and saw the lights outside were on. A gentle smile drew on his face. Diane was probably sitting outside, enjoying a glass of wine, thinking about the events of the day. She used to do that back when they were together, and he'd often joined her.

He put on his pants that had been thrown carelessly on the floor and walked toward the door. Suddenly a shot rang out and the window of the living room shattered into pieces. 

**Well, do you think Diane is our copycat?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Here's the next chapter, enjoy! I'd really like it if you let me know what you think...**

"That entry was posted by someone calling himself Kiss23," Chin said. "I'm trying to figure out the IP address."

Kono came out of her office. She'd heard Chin and Steve come back, so she figured she'd join them. "I read in those memoirs that Smith met a boy when he was fourteen, who became his friend. He often went hunting with Smith and his father. It's a bit of a chaotic story. Smith describes a kind of sadomasochistic event, but it sounded rather like they shared a homosexual experience."

"And does he mention the guy's name?" Steve asked. He was happy they seemed to finally catch a break. He didn't want to admit it, but he was worried about Danny's safety, and he knew Danny was, too. The sooner the case was closed, the better.

"Smith only used his initials, I. K., so that's not really of any use."

* * *

The two officers who had been watching Danny's house ran into the garden with their gun drawn. They motioned to Diane, who came running up to the house, to stay where she was. Danny came running out of the house. He pointed in the direction where the shot had come from. "The shot came from that direction. Where's Diane?"

The agents walked inside and Danny walked toward Diane. Diane came running up to him and was almost in Danny's arms when suddenly another shot rang out. Diane collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath. Danny pulled her into his arms. "Diane! Diane, stay with me!" The officers ran in the direction of the shot, while Diane lost consciousness.

* * *

"I've got it," Chin said, a little triumphantly. "The entry was posted from a computer in the store where they sell Temik."

"The owner of that store was called Iakopa Kekoa, right?" Steve said, crossing his arms.

Before anyone could reply, a police officer came in. "There were shots fired at Williams home." Steve raced outside, followed closely by Chin and Kono.

* * *

"No, Diane, no!" Danny shouted. He gently turned her on her side so he could put pressure on the wound in her back. He didn't notice a person dressed in black creeping up behind him. Suddenly he felt a stabbing pain in his head and lost consciousness. 

* * *

Steve, Chin and Kono drove at a frantic speed to Danny's house. "There is a fatality, the offender has escaped," one of the officers said on the phone.

Steve panicked, he couldn't lose Danny, especially not like this. He could have prevented this, he shouldn't have sent Danny home. He should have stayed close to him, protected him. "The victim is Diane Morgan. Detective Williams is missing."

Steve heaved a sigh of relief. He was sorry about Diane, but this meant that maybe they were still on time to save Danny. "Thanks," he said, ending the call. "We have to go to that store immediately!" he said, turning the car in a perilous maneuver.

"How did Smith kill his last victim?" Kono asked, leaning forward between the two front seats.

"His last victim was skinned alive," Steve said, only then fully realizing what this meant for Danny. He pressed the accelerator even deeper.

* * *

"So I gave them a wrong number," the woman who lived across the store said to Iakopa Kekoa, taking the pile of money he'd promised her from him. "Why did you want me to say that anyway, about that car?"

"I just wanted to pull a prank on a friend," Iakopa Kekoa said, looking over his shoulder into the house. The neighbour nodded in understanding. "Hey, thanks!" Iakopa Kekoa said, trying to get her to leave.

"You're welcome! Bye!" the woman said and walked away. Iakopa sighed and closed the door with a little more force than necessary.

* * *

Danny slowly regained consciousness. He had a piercing headache and he realized he was hanging by his bound wrists, from a beam that went along the ceiling of a shed. His feet were also bound together tightly and there was no way he'd be able to free himself. He was only clad in his boxers and his mouth had been covered by duct tape.

He blinked a few times, trying to clear his head. Looking around, he saw a woman walking up to him with a piece of canvas in her hands. When she realized he was awake, she suddenly stood stock-still.

He thought he recognized her from somewhere, and when he took a better look, he realized why she looked so familiar. He'd seen a photo of Mrs. Kekoa, and that's who this woman was.

He thought about what had happened at his house, and decided that she had to have worked together with someone, probably her husband. There was no way this petite woman was able to pull this off on her own, especially considering how nervous she seemed to be.

Suddenly he heard a door open, and when he looked in the direction of the noise, he saw Mr. Kekoa come over with a large knife in his hands, confirming his theory. He motioned for his wife to come to him, which she did, very cautiously, even though Danny wasn't able to do anything.

Kekoa pulled on plastic gloves. His wife looked at him a little anxiously. "And now?"

"Put that canvas on the ground under him." The woman obeyed while Kekoa sharpened his knife. "This is going to be a bit messy," he said. Mrs. Kekoa swallowed hard.

He walked up to Danny and stepped on a small platform, so he could reach Danny's arms more easily. Danny's eyes widened, he knew what was coming. A distressed noise escaped Mrs. Kekoa's throat. "I don't think I can handle this!"

Mr. Kekoa, who'd already raised his knife to Danny's right arm, bent close to his wife, who slightly flinched. "You're not going to let me deal with this on my own! Do you hear me?"

The woman nodded, clearly terrified. Her hands trembled and she blinked nervously. Mr. Kekoa grabbed Danny's arm firmly with one hand and used the other to place the knife against his skin.

The woman looked like she was going to vomit. "Why don't I prepare the car? Then we can take him as soon as you're done."

"Yes, go ahead," said Mr. Kekoa, panting. The woman quickly walked away and Mr. Kekoa put pressure on the knife. He cut the inside of Danny's arm from his wrist to his elbow. Danny couldn't help the scream that came out of his mouth, muffled by the ducttape.

 **TBC**


	7. Chapter 7

**This one's a bit short, but I figured I couldn't leave you hanging...**  
 **After this, there'll probably be one more chapter.**  
 **I'd appreciate it if you let me know what you think :)**

Meanwhile, Mrs. Kekoa rushed to the car. She opened the trunk and froze when she suddenly felt the barrel of a gun in her neck. "Don't move, and do not make any noise." She complied and soon she was cuffed by Kono, who handed her over to the officers who had arrived in the meantime.

* * *

Danny groaned. Blood flowed from his arm. The man put his knife on Danny's arm again. Sweat beaded on his forehead. "I need to do this. I need to do this for Kyle," he said, like he was in trance. He shook his head and pulled the knife away. He studied Danny's arm for a while and placed it back on Danny's arm, a little lower than the first time.

Suddenly a shot rang out and he fell down, clutching his bleeding arm and screaming like a pig. "Five-0" two voices called in unison. Danny hung his head, feeling utter relief flowing through him. He was safe now, his friends were here.

Steve came running to him while Chin handcuffed the man rather roughly. "Shh, Danno, I got you," Steve said as he pulled the tape of Danny's mouth and gently untied his arms. Danny sank into Steve's arms, not bothering to put up a front for him.

Steve examined Danny from head to toe and seemed satisfied that apart from his arm, he seemed to be relatively unscathed.

Chin gave the man a last shove in his back with his knee, leaving the officer that had entered the shed to deal with him, and then came over to Danny and Steve. Danny groaned, clutching his bleeding arm to his chest.

"Careful," Steve soothed. "We've got you, Danno," he said, carefully lowering Danny onto the ground.

"Did you get him?"

"We've got him, you're safe. It's over." Steve took off his shirt and wrapped it around Danny's arm. "Of course you think this situation calls for you to take your shirt off," Danny groaned.

"You always jump at the opportunity to walk around shirtless." Chin laughed at that. "Good to see you, Danny," he said, laying a hand on his shoulder. "You too, Chin."

Steve just smirked and lifted Danny in his arms, like he wanted to carry him outside, where an ambulance was waiting. Danny weakly swatted at him. "You know I can still walk, right? There's nothing wrong with my legs."

"Alright, alright, I'll put you down," Steve said, putting Danny on his feet. He didn't let him go just yet, though. Danny would never admit it, but he was glad Steve held onto him. Despite what he had just said, he wasn't sure he could walk out on his own.

Steve and Chin both guided Danny to the ambulance, and ended up almost carrying him in the end. Steve looked like he wanted to sweep Danny up in his arms again, but he probably got why Danny wanted to walk, and he didn't.

Once Danny was on the gurney, Kono immediately rushed to his side. "Danny! Are you okay?"

"Hey," Danny quietly said, giving her a tired smile. "I'm great! I was thinking we should go surfing tomorrow, what do you think?"

A small smile tugged on the corners of Kono's mouth. "Well, I don't have any plans for tomorrow yet, so maybe." She moved out of the way so the paramedic could do his job.

Danny shifted slightly to look at Steve. "Grace and Charlie don't know about this, right? I don't want them to worry."

"No, they don't know. They were probably already asleep when we heard you were missing anyway. And Rachel doesn't know either, though that's mostly because I didn't have time to call her."

Danny heaved a sigh of relief. "Good, because I don't really feel like having a conversation with Rachel right now." He flinched when the paramedic unwrapped the makeshift dressing around his arm. "I'm sorry, detective, but I have to assess the damage," the paramedic said.

He whistled through his teeth when he saw the cut. "The cut's pretty deep, but you're lucky, it missed the radial artery. I'm going to wrap this again, and then we're taking you to the hospital."

Danny nodded and closed his eyes, subjecting himself to the paramedics treatment. He could hear Steve telling Kono to book Mrs. Kekoa, which caused Danny to chuckle. "Hey, that's my job!" he said. "What's next, are you going to call her Danno?"

"I wouldn't dare, I value my life too much for that."

Chin said he would supervise Iakopa Kekoa's medical treatment and make sure he got locked up.

He didn't bother to open his eyes when the conversation ended. Even with his eyes closed, he could feel Steve's presence, and he felt safe.

 **TBC**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N**  
 **Sorry I kept you waiting this long, real life got a little hectic. My nephew and nieces stayed with us, and at one point, they were all sick, so it was a bit busy combined with my job etc.**  
 **But here's another chapter, albeit a bit short one. I'd really like to hear your thoughts!**  
 **Enjoy!**

Steve went with Danny in the ambulance. Once they arrived at the hospital, he didn't want to leave Danny's side, but the ER doctor was, if possible, even more stubborn than Steve and did not relent. She gave Steve a friendly but firm push toward the waiting area. "Sir, you need to wait outside. As soon as you can see him, someone will come find you."

Steve took a deep breath and wanted to argue with her, but eventually sat down when Danny silently shook his head and nodded in the direction of the waiting room.

Almost immediately after the gurney with Danny had disappeared through the doors though, Steve was pacing around the waiting room. He wasn't good at waiting, had never been good at it. It was even worse when he was worried, like he was now. He knew Danny would probably be alright. But Danny'd been very silent in the ambulance, and in the years Steve had known him, he'd come to the conclusion that a silent Danny did not bode well.

He had no idea how much time had passed when he suddenly heard Kono say his name and she gently laid her hand on his shoulder. "Hey, how is he?"

Steve almost growled. "They made me wait outside, I don't know anything." Kono smiled at him and gently led him toward a chair and pushed him into it. Steve let her, suddenly feeling drained. "How did it go? Have you heard from Chin?" he asked after just sitting there silently for a few minutes.

"Everything went without a hitch at my end. Mrs Kekoa is terrified, she didn't cause any problems. I haven't heard from Chin yet."

At that very moment Chin entered the waiting room. He'd just heard Kono's last sentence and said, "Speak of the devil..." and sat down next to them.

"How's D-," he started to say, but he was cut off by Kono. "We don't know anything yet," she said, with a knowing look at Steve. Chin nodded in understanding.

They all settled in for the wait, and a short while later a nurse came up to them. "Are you here for detective Williams?"

At Steve's confirming response, she said, "He's asking for Steve, is that you?"

"Yes, I'm Steve," he said, immediately getting up.

"I'm sorry, you guys have to wait until he's settled in a room before you can see him, only Steve can come," the nurse said to Chin and Kono, sounding apologetic.

Chin and Kono didn't mind, though, they both knew Steve needed to see for himself Danny was alright, more then they did.

Steve followed the nurse through the doors, not really sure what to expect.

* * *

The nurse opened the door to Danny's room and closed it after Steve again. Steve carefully entered and walked over to the gurney in the center of the room. Danny was lying with his eyes closed, his heavily bandaged arm elevated on a pillow. There was an intravenous drip in his other arm.

As soon as Steve stood beside the gurney, Danny's eyes flickered open. He looked a bit confused. "Hey Danno, how are you doing?"

"They've got good drugs around here," Danny said, slurring a little.

"Yeah, I bet they do," Steve said, sitting down on the edge of the gurney, smirking a little.

Danny stared at Steve for a while, causing Steve to shift a little. "Your hair looks so pretty today," Danny said at long last.

"Well, thank you. I can't the same about you, though, buddy."

"I have a good excuse. You've never had a good excuse when your hair didn't look good."

Steve choose to agree with Danny, cutting him some slack. After all, he did have a valid point, he had a very good excuse for looking the way he did. "How's your arm? What did the doc say?"

"It won't fall off," Danny said, a little distractedly.

"That's good. Did she say anything else?"

"Yeah," Danny said, not caring to expand on what exactly the doctor had said and looking at the ceiling, like there was something very special to see there.

"And?" Steve was getting a little impatient, and even drugged up, Danny seemed to notice his impatience.

"I'll probably need surgery, the knife damaged my, uh," he paused, looking for the right word. "Oh," he said when he remembered, "my muscle, so they are going to repair it during surgery. But I'll be fine. As good as new."

 **TBC**

A/N Oh, as you probably noticed, I was lying when I said this chapter would be the last one ;)


	9. Chapter 9

**First of all, thank you to everyone who read and reviewed!**  
 **Second, I need to warn you, I'm nowhere near a medical professional, so I'm sorry in advance for the medical mistakes that will probably be in this chapter...**  
 **Enjoy!**

Danny had been brought to a private room in anticipation of his surgery. He was not allowed to eat or drink anything, and he was not very happy about that. Especially since Steve had obviously just had a coffee. He wanted coffee too.

He tried if he couldn't get just one cup of coffee, but eventually he decided that it would be best if he just went to sleep. He wouldn't get any coffee anyway, his thoughts were all over the place, he was tired, and despite the pain medication his arm hurt quite a bit.

He closed his eyes, and a few minutes later he was fast asleep.

* * *

Steve sank down in the chair next to Danny's bed, with yet another cup of coffee in his hand. He'd slipped away, so that he could get Chin and Kono and had also bought a cup of coffee.

Chin and Kono sat down without making a sound, careful to not wake Danny. "What did the doctor say?" Kono asked in a whisper.

"They need to stitch up the muscle. He will be in quite a lot of pain and he's going to need a lot of physiotherapy, but it is very likely he'll make a full recovery. It will only take a lot of time."

Steve sighed. "He doesn't know that Diane died. I haven't told him, he wouldn't remember it anyway, because of all the medication."

"They were more than just partners, weren't they?" Kono asked, her voice full of sympathy.

"Yes, they were," Steve simply said. "I don't know how he's going to take it. He was very quiet in the ambulance."

Chin and Kono both knew Danny well enough to know that a silent Danny was not a good sign. Steve looked at Danny and sighed deeply again. "He's strong," se said, sounding like he was trying to convince himself.

"He is," Chin said emphatically. "He'll be alright, we just need to be there for him."

* * *

Danny blearily blinked open his eyes. He looked around, as if he was looking for something. He stopped when he saw Steve. "Hey," he said, barely audible.

"Hey, how are you feeling?"

Danny blinked, as if he needed time to think about that. "I feel like I'm floating," he said after a while. He was silent again and then said in a scratchy voice "I'm thirsty."

"I'm sorry, buddy, you can't have anything to drink. I'll go ask if you can have some ice chips." Steve was already standing. He rushed out of the room, looking for a nurse.

Suddenly he saw Chin and Kono. "Hey guys," he said.

"Hey," they said in unison. They both got up and walked over to Danny's bed. Kono brushed a strand of hair out of Danny's face and took his left hand.

"You know, I'm really, seriously ..." Danny started to say, but it looked like he had forgotten what he was saying.

When Steve entered the room again, Danny gave him a beaming smile. "Hey, Steve! You're back!"

"I am, and I brought you some ice chips," Steve said, trying to hide his smile. He walked over to Danny and fed him some ice.

"Mmmm, that's so good," Danny said, closing his eyes.

"I bet. Do you want another one?" Danny didn't respond, he seemed to be sleeping again. Chin moved back to his chair, and Kono wanted to do the same. As soon as she released his hand, though, he opened his eyes. "Just go back to sleep, Danny. We're here."

"You're pretty," Danny said, staring at her.

"I'm going to let that one pass, brah, but only because you're on drugs," Chin said jokingly, crossing his arms. Kono just laughed

"Hey, Danny, do you want me to tell Eric? He'll probably hear about this tomorrow, so it might be better if I tell him in person. When did you last speak to him?"

"Uhm, that would be the last time I saw him," Danny said, looking a little dazed again.

"And when was that?" Steve asked, hoping Danny wouldn't fall asleep before he knew if Danny wanted him to tell Eric.

"The last time I saw him?" Danny asked, blinking tiredly. He yawned, then said, "That would definitely be the time I saw him last."

Steve really had to do his best to keep from laughing. Chin and Kono did not even try to conceal their laughter. "Okay buddy. Do you want me to tell him?"

Danny looked at Steve a little confused. "Tell him what?"

"That you're in the hospital," Steve said in a patient tone.

"Oh, that... I don't care, go ahead, I guess," said Danny, and he promptly fell asleep again.

* * *

The next morning, Danny was taken to his surgery very early. Chin and Kono had gone home halfway through the night at the insistence of Steve. He'd given Kono his key to Danny's house so she could bring some stuff for Danny.

Steve went to the surgical waiting room. It would not be a long surgery, but he wanted to see Danny as soon as he was allowed to. He had already called Eric, who had promised him that he'd come see his uncle when he had the time.

He still had to call Rachel, and that was a call he dreaded a bit more. He sighed deeply and decided it would be best to just bite the bullet.

To his surprise, Rachel responded very calmly when she heard what had happened. She promised that she would tell Grace and Charlie, and that she would bring by Grace that afternoon after school. Charlie could come and visit when Danny got home.

Despite Rachel's calmness Steve heaved a sigh of relief when he ended the call. He leafed through a magazine until a nurse came up to him to take him to the recovery room.

When Steve came in, Danny was still asleep. He was connected to a heart monitor and there was a blood pressure cuff around his left upper arm, but apart from that there were no machines around the bed.

Danny's right arm was elevated on a pile of pillows, his lower arm immobilized on a cast. His mouth was slightly open, which made Steve smile. Even in his sleep, Danny couldn't keep his mouth shut.

Steve sat down in the chair that stood beside Danny's bed, waiting for him to open his eyes.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

**Well, here's another chapter, enjoy!  
Again, it's a little short, but my life is simply hectic at te moment...  
I'd really love to hear what you think...**

Danny had woken briefly in the recovery room, but he'd been fast asleep almost seconds after he opened his eyes for the first time after his surgery. He'd been brought back to his room after that.

Kono had brought some stuff for Danny, but she hadn't stayed very long. She'd needed to go to HQ to help Chin with the interrogation of Mrs. Kekoa. Grover would return the next day, but until then she and Chin would hold down the fort.

Almost an hour after Danny had first woken up, he slowly blinked open his eyes again. When he saw Steve, he tried to say something, but his mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton balls and he couldn't utter a word.

He swallowed, trying to get his mouth to work. Steve was immediately by his side with a cup of water with a straw in it. He drank greedily from the water, until Steve said he it would be better to take it easy.

"Thank you," he said, his voice filled with gratitude. "How did it go?" he asked, raising his head to look at his arm. He sighed when he saw the cast and dropped his head back on the pillow

"You did good, buddy, they're very optimistic about your recovery. Are you in pain?"

Danny shook his head, but the grunt that came out of his mouth involuntarily when he tried to slightly move his arm contradicted him.

"Do you want me to get the nurse?" Steve asked, worry evident in his voice

"No, I don't want any more painkillers. They always make me a bit loopy." He looked at Steve a little confused when he saw the huge grin that came on his face.

"What did I do?" he asked, not really sure if he wanted to know the answer. When Steve didn't answer, he said, a little pointedly, "Steven!"

"You don't want to know, trust me," Steve said, still grinning. "But let me tell you this, when you say 'a bit loopy', that's quite an understatement.

Danny groaned in frustration. "Well, at least you didn't record it. Then it would've been way worse."

"Well, I didn't, but I don't know about Chin or Kono," Steve said. Danny looked at him with mock exasperation. "Let's hope they didn't, because they will be very sorry if they did."

"Oh yeah? Why?" Steve looked at him with great interest.

"I can't tell you, that's my secret," Danny said, grinning a little. He shifted in the bed, trying to get comfortable, and winced at the pain that shot through his arm.

"Are you sure you don't want any pain meds?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I can handle it. I'd like to sit up a little, though, so if you want to help me you could hand me the remote."

Steve, being Steve, didn't give him the remote but simply raised the head of the bed himself. Danny sighed deeply and wanted to tell Steve he wasn't an invalid, but thought better of it.

Steve always wanted to help him when he was hurt, that was who he was. He'd let him be a mother hen for a while, until he really couldn't handle it anymore.

"Did you call Rachel?" he asked, glad that he could look at Steve more easily.

"I did, and surprisingly, she was very calm. She even offered to drop Grace off after school."

"Yeah, ever since she told me about Charlie, she's pretty civilized," Danny said, heaving a sigh. "I'm grateful she's letting me see Grace, though. I really want to see my monkey." He was silent for a while, then said, "She doesn't really like it anymore when I call her that in public."

Steve laid a hand on his shoulder. "She's growing up, man."

"She is. Sometimes I look at her, and I think about how time flies. It's like it was just yesterday when she was born," he said, a little sad.

"Sometimes I just miss the time when she was little. But she's growing up to be an amazing woman, so I guess that's good." Danny had a very proud smile on his face when he said that, and when he looked at Steve, he saw he was smiling too.

"Okay, enough with the sappiness," he suddenly said, clearing his throat. "I could really use some food right now."

Steve jumped up at that. "I'll see if I can get you something." When Steve was at the door, Danny called out his name. When Steve turned around, he said "And I really want some coffee. Good coffee. Preferably combined with some malasadas."

"I'll see what I can do," Steve said, turning again and leaving the room. 

* * *

Danny had fallen asleep again when Steve returned, but he awoke to the smell of coffee. He opened his eyes and saw Steve, who was carrying two cups of coffee and a brown bag.

"You're amazing," he said, not entirely joking.

"I know," was Steve's deadpan answer, at which Danny rolled his eyes. He handed Danny a cup and put the bag on the bedside table.

"Thank you," Danny said after taking a sip of the coffee. "Now I'd really appreciate it if you gave me one of those malasadas."

When Steve didn't answer, he added "Please?"

Only then did Steve give him what he asked for. They sat in silence for a while, enjoying their coffee and malasadas. When they were done, Danny cleared his throat. "Steve? Is there something you need to tell me? About Diane?"

Steve looked at him a bit oddly. "You know?"

"Well, I know you, I could tell there was something you needed to tell me. And I was with her when she got shot. She didn't really have a chance," Danny said, choking up a little bit.

"I'm so sorry, Danny," Steve said, getting up out of his chair. He sat down on the edge of the bed and gently pulled Danny into a hug.

"I know," Danny said, trying to fight back his tears. "Thank you." A lone tear rolled down his cheek, and Steve gently thumbed it away.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

**Here's the next chapter, posted between meetings...**  
 **Reviews are greatly appreciated, I'm hoping to personally reply to them this week.**  
 **Enjoy!**

When Danny had his emotions in check again, he asked what was in the bag that was next to Steve's chair. Steve had simply dumped the bag on the floor after Danny had been brought to his room and totally forgotten about the stuff that Kono had brought.

He grabbed the bag and emptied it on Danny's bed. A small card fluttered to the ground. He picked it up and handed it to Danny, trying to see what it said, but without success.

When Danny read the card, his face split into a wide smile. "What does it say?" Steve asked, a little curious.

"You'd really like to know that, wouldn't you? But that stays between me and Kono," Danny said, grinning a little.

Steve was tempted to throw something at his head to wipe the smug grin of Danny's face, but decided not to, mostly because Danny wouldn't be impressed by it anyway.

Danny rummaged through his stuff,clearly looking for something. Apparently he didn't find what he was looking for, and he looked a little disappointed.

"What are you looking for?" Steve asked, looking at the mess Danny had made one-handedly, itching to clean it up.

"I was reading a book, but I don't think it's here. I need to do something, otherwise I'll go crazy," Danny said, trying to tidy the mess a little.

"I can go to your house to pick it up?" Steve half asked, glad to be able to do something. He'd never admit it to Danny, but if he didn't get out of the hospital soon, he'd probably lose his mind.

"Could you? That would be great." Danny paused for a while, then said "Maybe you can also go for a swim, and in the meantime I'll try to get dressed. That's probably going to take a while."

"Okay, I'll go pick it up. Anything else you need?" Steve said, trying to think of anything Danny could need.

"Not that I can think of at the moment. The book's probably on my nightstand," Danny said. He ushered Steve to the door with his left hand.

"Don't forget your swim, Aquaman," he said when Steve was at the door. Steve simply walked out of the door, not bothering to react.

He stopped a nurse on his way out to ask if she could help Danny with getting dressed, knowing he'd probably be too stubborn to ask for help.

* * *

Danny heaved a sigh of relief when he was dressed in his own clothes. Although he didn't like the fact that Steve had obviously asked the nurse to help him, he was sure it would have taken much longer to get dressed on his own. He thanked the nurse and sank into the pillow.

He was pretty tired, especially since the anesthetics hadn't fully worn of yet. Plus, sleeping was better than being in pain and he wanted to be well rested when Grace came to visit.

He smiled when he thought about Steve. He might be smart, but he hadn't even realized that the book was just an excuse Danny had used to get him to leave for a while. He closed his eyes and a few minutes later, he was asleep.

Steve had gone to Danny's house to get his book. It had felt odd to be there without Danny. The trickle of a water faucet had emphasized the silence in the house. He had grabbed the book and had left as rapidly as possible.

Now he pierced through the water of the ocean with fast, powerful strokes. A swim always cleared his head, and he was glad he'd listened to Danny. He had considered to simply go back to the hospital after he'd picked up the book, but he could already hear Danny's rant when he realized Steve hadn't gone for a swim.

He returned to the coast and grabbed the towel that hung over one of the chairs. After a quick shower, which did last a little longer than his normal showers, he got dressed and returned to the hospital.

* * *

When he entered Danny's room, he was still asleep. Steve looked around the room and spotted Kono's card on the bedside table. He crept towards the bed and carefully picked up the card. He wanted to open it when he suddenly heard Danny say "I knew it!"

He jumped and promptly dropped the card. "I... I just-"

"Steve, Steve. You know what, just read the card. I could have expected this. You simply don't know the concept of privacy."

Steve stammered, looking a bit insecure. Suddenly Danny burst out laughing. "You should see yourself standing there! Come on, read the card."

Steve opened the card.

 _Hey Danny,_

 _Hope you feel better soon._

 _Could you do me a favor? Act very secretive about what's in the card, just to see how long Steve can restrain himself..."_

 _Kono_

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

Another day, another chapter. I'm not entirely satisfied with it, but I decided to post it anyway.  
Please let me know what you think...  
Enjoy!

Danny had fallen asleep immediately after he'd finished his lunch, so after a while Steve stepped outside to call his teammates. He told them Danny was doing okay, but he didn't mention the card, he wouldn't give her that satisfaction, and Danny would probably tell Kono as soon as he saw her anyway.

Chin told him that they'd interrogated Mrs. Kekoa, but she hadn't really told them much. At first, she'd told them she didn't know anything, but later she'd admitted she had known about most of the things her husband had done.

She said she'd just been too scared off him. Kono was inclined to believe her, the woman was still shaking like a leaf when they were interrogating her.

Mr. Kekoa would probably be released from the hospital that afternoon, but Chin told Steve that he and Chin could interrogate him, if Steve wanted to.

Steve wasn't really sure he'd be able to keep himself in check during the questioning, but he didn't really care either. That man deserved something way worse than whatever Steve would allow himself to do to him.

"Steve? Are you still there?" he heard Kono ask, worry evident in her voice.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, I got a bit distracted. I'll call you guys when I know when I can be there, alright?"

"Okay, take care of Danny," Chin said, and he ended the call.

Steve pocketed his phone and punched the wall. He had to let some frustration out. He took a deep breath and tried to get himself under control again. He wouldn't be of any use to Danny this way.

Just when he had managed to calm down he heard footsteps come closer and a familiar voice called out "Uncle Steve!" Seconds later, Grace threw her arms around him.

"Are you okay?" she asked, looking up at him.

Steve swallowed hard. "Why would you ask me that? I'm great! It's your Danno you should be worrying about," he said after a moment.

"I know, but he's got you. I'm just making sure you're okay too," she said earnestly.

Steve choked up a little. Danny sure had done an amazing job raising his daughter. "I'll be okay," he said very sincerely. He knew Danny was always very honest with Grace, with everybody in fact, so he could be honest too.

"Where's your mom?" he asked, looking around.

"She just dropped me off, she said she didn't want to interfere," Grace said, sounding like she didn't really believe her mom.

Steve actually didn't believe it either, Rachel probably just didn't want to see Danny. She'd been avoiding Danny ever since she'd told him Charlie was his. He wouldn't trouble Grace about it though.

"Come on, I bet you'd like to see your dad. I know for a fact he really wants to see you," he said, giving her a gentle push towards the entrance. He led Grace to Danny's room and cautiously looked inside.

Danny was still asleep. There were fine lines of pain on his face, but all in all he looked pretty peaceful. He figured Danny wouldn't mind to be woken by his not so little monkey, so he motioned for Grace to go inside.

She looked at her father a little uncertain, not sure if she should wake him, but she walked over to the bed and gave him a soft kiss on his cheeck. Danny groaned softly, his blue eyes slowly blinking open.

When he saw Grace, his face lit up in a radiant smile. "Monkey!" He held his left arm out for a clumsy one-armed hug. Grace happily complied, burrying herself against her dad. After a few seconds, he let go.

Grace grabbed her backpack and rummaged through it. She drew out a drawing and handed it to Danny. "Charlie made you this," she said, smiling softly.

Danny looked at the piece of paper and proudly showed it to Steve. "Look at this! Isn't he amazing?"

Steve squinted a little. "That's you, isn't it? And who's the other guy?"

"I think that's you, look, he's eaven wearing cargopants! He already knows you so well!"

Steve huffed a little, not wanting them to see how touched he was. "He's quite the artist," he said after swallowing past the lump in his throat.

Danny looked at him a little curious, but he just smiled and didn't say anything. Steve returned the smile and sat down in his chair. Grace sat down on Danny's bed.

"How's your arm?" she said, looking at the cast on Danny's arm.

"Well, it's going to be fine," Danny said, slightly wiggling his fingers. Steve could see the pain it caused him, and apparently Grace noticed too.

"Danno, I know you're in pain. I'm not a little girl anymore, you don't have to put on a brave face for me," she said, gently scolding him.

"I think I'm always going to do that," Danny softly said. "That's what dads do."

"I know, but there's no need. I just want you to be okay, and I don't want you to be in pain, so just take some pain meds," she said, taking his left hand.

Steve hadn't said anything during their conversation, but Danny looked at him a little anxiously. "You know Grace, I think your dad doesn't want you to see him when he's on drugs. And I'm not entirely sure you'd want to see it," he smirked.

"You know what, I'll make sure he takes something for the pain as soon as you leave, is that okay with you?" He looked at Danny, as if to warn him not to argue.

"Okay, thanks uncle Steve," Grace said, settling against her dad.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

Author's note:

I'm terribly sorry for abandoning this story for so long.  
My husband was involved in an accident. A drunk driver ran him of the road, and he was pretty seriously injured.  
I've been running around like crazy, from home to work to the hospital and back home again, so I didn't really have time to write.  
Luckily he's on the mend now and he's almost well enough to come home. Wow, sorry for this load of clutter!

Sorry if there are any mistakes, I have written this chapter rather quickly. Here you go (finally!).

* * *

Steve sat down in the chair next to Danny's bed and they talked for a while. Grace did most of the talking, and Steve and Danny were content to listen. Danny glanced at Steve and noticed he finally seemed to truly relax. Grace had always had that effect on him, and it worked the other way around too.

Just before dinnertime, Kono and Chin entered the room. Kono was carrying a plastic container of soup and Chin a stack of bowls and some sandwiches.

"We figured Steve didn't want to leave you alone, so we brought some food for all of us," Kono said after she'd greeted everybody. She put her hand on Grace's shoulder and squeezed it. "Do you think you can stay for dinner? Or do I have to give you a ride home?"

Grace shrugged. "Mom hasn't really said anything, I guess it would be okay if I just let her know I'm not coming home for dinner."

Danny had already noticed a few times that Rachel had been acting quite indifferent towards Grace lately. He figured it had something to do with Charlie's illness, but he was determined to give Grace the attention she deserved.

He still called her most evenings, and although Grace had complained she wasn't a little child anymore, he knew she secretly loved the fact that he cared so much about her.

"I'd like it if you stayed for dinner, uncle Steve can give you a ride home afterwards," he said, looking at Steve to see if he was okay with that.

"You've probably got homework to finish, don't you?"

Grace heaved a sigh. "I do, I have to hand in a book report on _To Kill a Mockingbird_. I'm almost done, though."

"That's my girl. Did you like the book?"

"It was a little difficult, but I think it's really good. It's got so many layers, and I think it teaches us very good things," she said, getting up from the bed. She sat down in a chair next to Danny's bed and continued.

"It teaches us you shouldn't destroy the beauty in the world, and that you shouldn't judge people before you've learned about their lives. It also shows us that bad things happen, and it's better to just accept that and work with it. Also, you shouldn't just follow the crowd, you have to think for yourself."

Danny was seriously impressed by his daughter, and looking at his teammates, he saw he wasn't the only one. "Wow, I think you've done a really good job! Let me know what your teacher said, honey."

"I will. Can we eat now, though? I have to say I'm pretty hungry," she said, obviously a little shy because of the admiring looks they all gave her.

Kono nodded and started to pour the soup into the bowls. "Did you cook the soop yourself?" Steve asked, laughing and taking a bowl from Kono.

Kono grinned. "I didn't, I think Danny's been through enough without having to taste my cooking."

Danny had to agree with Steve. Kono was good at a lot of things, but cooking wasn't one of them. "Thank you, that's really thoughtful of you," he said. He winked at Grace, who smiled back at him.

"It smells really good, auntie Kono," Grace said, feeling a little sorry for her. "Is your cooking really that bad?"

Chin put a bowl on the bedtable and handed Danny a spoon and a napkin. "Do you think you can manage?" he asked Danny, and at Danny's confirming nod, he said to Grace "It is, Gracie, wait until you've tasted it."

He could just avoid the pillow she threw at his head and laughed. Kono shrugged and said to Grace "I don't like to admit it, but they're actually right."

* * *

After dinner, Grace gave her father a hug and grabbed her things. "Bye Danno, I'll see you tomorrow." Before Steve took her home, he asked a nurse to bring Danny something for the pain.

The nurse checked Danny's vitals and injected something into his IV. A few minutes later, Danny was fast asleep.

When Steve returned, Kono said softly "Steve, why don't you go home? You could use some sleep, and he'll be fine."

"I can sleep here," Steve whispered. Despite their efforts not to wake Danny, he sluggishly blinked open his eyes. "Steven, I'm not sharing this bed with you, forget it. Just go home and sleep in your own bed," he said drowsily.

Kono could barely contain her laughter and Chin smirked a little. "I don't want to share a bed, Danny. I'd sleep in the chair."

Danny insisted Steve should go home and after a while Steve reluctantly gave in, promising he'd be back the next morning.

They all left the room, leaving Danny alone. Danny closed his eyes and tried to get comfortable. His arm hurt a lot, despite the pain medication.

He was still awake when the nurse from before entered the room. "Are you in pain, detective?"

Danny didn't really want to admit it, but he figured it would only get better if he did. The nurse injected some more medication into his IV and seconds later he was asleep again.

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Well, look who finally got around to writing another chapter! This awfully neglectful lady! I'm terribly sorry, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please let me know what you think... :)

Danny carefully shifted his arm in the sling. He'd finally been released from the hospital that morning, and he'd asked Steve to drive him to the cemetery before he took him home.

Steve had initially refused, but in the end he'd given in and they were now on their way to the cemetery.

Danny hadn't been able to attend Diane's funeral. He'd developed an infection, and even though it hadn't been very serious, he'd had to stay in the hospital a bit longer than initially expected.

The antibiotics had done their job though, and Danny had been released with the kind but firm instruction to take it easy.

Steve had happily agreed to make sure Danny would do just that.

They both knew that Danny tended to overdo it, especially when his children were around. Steve always tried to prevent that, and while Danny was very grateful for Steve's help and his concern, that didn't mean he liked it when his partner went so motherhen on him.

Danny fumbled a bit with the seatbelt, stealing a glance at Steve. He heaved a sigh and leant back in the passenger seat. His eyes were closed, but he could practically feel Steve was looing at him. "I'm okay," he said, not even bothering to open his eyes. "Just a bit tired."

"We don't have to do this now, if you're not feeling up to it," Steve said, concern evident in his voice.

"I think I do, I need to do this now. And if I'm honest, this is something I'll probably never feel up to," Danny said, opening his eyes to look at Steve.

Steve sighed and nodded. "You're right, but if you're so tired, this visit's going to be even worse." He put his hand on Danny's knee and have it a gentle squeeze.

"I know, but it's... I just - I didn't get a chance to say goodbye, you know? I just want to say goodbye," Danny said, squeezing Steve's hand with his left hand.

Steve nodded and parked the car. He jumped out of the car, and before Danny could even blink, he'd opened the passenger door and helped Danny out of the car. Danny would never admit it, but he was grateful for the support. He wasn't sure if he could have gotten out of the car without Steve's help. He was still a bit wobbly on his feet, partly from the painkillers and partly because the infection had left him exhausted.

Steve gently led him directly to Diane's grave, and at Danny's surprised look, he simply said, "I went to her funeral."

Danny swallowed the lump in his throat. "You didn't even know her," he said, clearing his throat.

"No, I didn't. But I know you, and she was important to you," Steve said softly.

"Thank you," Danny said. Steve gently hugged him and said, "I'll be over there if you need me."

After Steve had walked away, Danny stood there for a while, not sure what to say. "I want to say sorry," he said after a few minutes.

"I didn't treat you right, and you didn't deserve any of that. In fact, in a way you could say you saved me."

He cleared his throat and continued. "Rachel was my first true love, maybe even my only one." He wasn't sure he'd be able to stay on his feet much longer, so he carefully sat down on the grass.

"After Rachel... I didn't know what to do, how I should live my life... so I collected all the fragments that were left of me, and I shoved them into a bag that I carried with me, like a backpack full of stones.

Quite some time passed, and all this time I carried that heavy weight. My own history cut into my shoulders.

And then, after I moved to Hawaii, I met my new partner. A gorgeous, very stubborn woman. I heard the sound of her voice, and somehow, something in that voice made me empty that backpack.

All of those fragments fell to the ground, and while I laid there, out in the open and broken, I wondered, even hoped, if maybe my story would change.

You are the one who gave me that hope. You showed me the way back to happiness.

And now my heart is shattered to pieces again, and it's my own fault, because I didn't protect you." Danny wiped at his eyes and smiled sadly.

"It's funny, I loved two women in my life, and I couldn't keep either one of them with me. I've lost both of you. What does that say about me?"

He swallowed and jumped when he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Steve standing next to him, his eyes shiny with tears.

"I don't -," Danny said, and then stopped. Steve knelt down and pulled him into a hug. "It's okay. It's not your fault," he whispered.

After a few minutes, he let go of Danny and carefully helped him up. "Come on, let's get you home."


End file.
